Manual switching device



J. B. PARSONS MANUAL SWITCHING DEVICE Nov. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 10, 1952 flic s duh/7 5. Parsons BY 197" TORNE Y 1954 J. B. PARSONS MANUAL SWITCHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z I INVENTOR. (fa/m 5. Parsons BY Filed July 10, 1952 FTTORNE Y United States Patent MANUAL SWITCHING DEVICE John B. Parsons, Maumee, Ohio Application July 10, 1952, Serial No. 298,087 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-6) This invention relates to manually operated switch mechanisms but particularly to a switch mechanism which in. the normal or neutral position, maintains an electrical connection between a live contact and an outlet contact and which may be moved in opposite directions from neutral position for connecting the live contact with other outlet contacts andat the same time, breaking the connection with the outlet contact energized in the neutral position.

An object is to produce a simple and eflicient switch mechanism of the above character which is spring-controlled and automatically returns to the neutral position from eitherv direction of movement when the actuator is released or may be yieldingly retained in the on" position.

Another object is to produce a new and improved switch mechanism of the above. character which embodies a pair of spring arms cooperating with anoscillatable eccentric cam element in such manner that when the cam is released, the spring arms automatically return it to its normal or .neutral position.

A further object is to produce a switch mechanism of the above character which is simple in construction, easy to assemble, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, and is reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of theinvention is shown on the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the switch mechanism taken substantially on the line 11 of Figure 4;

,. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the switch mechanism;

Figure 3 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating the limits of oscillatable movement allowed to the cover suflicient to effect the desired operations;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing the parts in their neutral position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the actuator or eccentric cam rocked in a clockwise direction to effect the desired operation;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, but showing the eccentric cam rocked to its counterclockwise limit of movement; and

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the switch mechanism.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a switch mechanism having a base plate 10 of electrical insulating material which is adapted to be secured to a support S over an aperture A. Three screws, 11, 11a and 11b secure the plate 10 to the support S and as shown, are in triangular arrangement. The insulating plate 10 which is cylindrical in form has a live contact post 12 and opposite from the live post 12 are outlet posts 13, 14 and 15, the post 14 being between the posts 13 and 15 and closer to the post 13 considering supporting post to be central, posts 13, 12 and 15 are in substantially 2, 6 and 10 oclock positions, whereas post 14 lies generally between the 2 and 10 oclock positions. A hairpin-like spring generally W-shaped and of electrical conductive metal has a reentrant loop portion 16 which embraces a portion of the live contact post 12 and is disposed between a head 12a and a spacer washer 12b. The hairpin spring has integral side arms 17 and 18 which are substantially parallel to each other. Interposed between the arms 17 and 18 is a cam block 19 of electrical insulating material which is rectangular in section and is eccentrically mounted for turning movements establish electrical contact with on a supporting post 20. The post 20 has areduced lower end portion 21 which has. a knurled portionsnugly fitting the base plate 10. Washers 22 are interposed between the insulating plate 10 and the cam block. 19 and also between the opposite face of the insulating plate and the flanged head of the supporting post.

Fitting over the switch mechanism and completely enclosing the same is a dome-shaped or hemispherical, oscillatable cover 23, on the outside of which is attached an actuating knob 24. The cover 23 has aninwardly extending axially arranged internal sleeve 25 which has a bearing on the supporting post 20 and rests upon the cam block 19. An ofi-center connecting pin 26 extends into sockets in the sleeve 25 and eccentric cam 19 so that turning movements of the cover 23 impart corresponding movement to the cam 19. A screw 27 is threaded into the upper end of the post 20 and the screw head 28 fits into a countersunk socket 29 in the cover 23 andretains the latter in place.

Inwardly extending stop fingers 30 integral with the inner wall of the cover 23 are adapted to abut against the upwardly projecting portion of the screw 11 when the cover is turned in one direction or the other, thereby to limit the oscillating movement of the cover in either direction.

It will be understood that when the parts are in their normal or neutral position as. shown in Figure 4, the spring arm 18 is out of contact with its outlet post 15, but the spring arm 17 is in engagement withv the. outlet post 14 so. that current from the live post 16 may pass through the arm 17 to the post 14. In this position, the rectangular cam 19 abuts flatly against the spring arm 18 and although the arm 17 is slightly flexed,.it being spring-urged toward the outlet post 14, it is generally flat along the arm 17. By .rocking the cam 19 in a counterclockwise direction, the parts then assume the position shown in Figure 6. This movement of the domeshaped cover 23 is limited by thefinger 13 abutting against the screw 11. The spring arm 18 has been flexed outwardly a short distance but not sufiieiently for it to the outlet post 15, this being due to the relatively short distance between the center of the mounting post 20 and theright angle edge portion of the camblock 19 which engages the arm '18. On the other hand, the spring arm 17 is flexed outwardly into electrical engagement with the'outlet post 13 so that current may pass from the live post 12 through the arm 17 to the outlet post 13. This is made possible by the greater distance between the center of the post 20 and the right angular edge portion of the eccentrically mounted cam block 19. The arrangement is such that the switch remains in its on position due to the off center position of the cam block 19. However, a slight movement of the block toward neutral position is sufiicient for the spring to return the block to neutral where it is positively retained.

Finally, by rocking the cam block 19 in a clockwise direction from its neutral position, the spring arm 18 is then moved into contact with the outlet post 15 to establish an electrical connection between it and the live post 12. At the same time, the spring arm 17 is moved away from the outlet post 14 but not sufiiciently for it to engage the outlet post 13 so that in this position, no current flows from the live post 12 through the arm 17. It will likewise be understood that the cam block, when oil center, is retained in the on position until a slight movement is imparted to the operating knob 24 to reestablish the vertical contacts as above described.

From the above, it will be manifest that I have pro duced an exceedingly simple and reliable switch mechanism which, in the normal or neutral position, current always flows to one outlet and when shifted or rocked in one direction or the other, additional outlet posts are engaged and the connection with the neutral outlet post is broken. The structure is such that when the actuator knob or handle is released, the parts remain in the on position until slight movement is imparted from the off center position, when the switch abruptly returns automatically to the neutral or intermediate position. The feature of employing a single spring element which not only serves to carry the current from the live post to the selected outlet posts, but also functions in combination with the eccentric cam to return the parts to their neutral or intermediate position, is of importance. Manifestly the structure can be manufactured on a quantity basis quite economically since the number of parts is reduced to a minimum and these may be assembled without difiiculty.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A switch mechanism comprising an insulating base, a supporting shaft mounted on and extending upwardly from said base, an actuator cam of elongate configuration having opposed pairs of long and short sides, the body of said cam being mounted on said shaft for oscillation about an axis eccentric to the length of said cam, whereby said cam is provided with a major portion and a minor portion on respectively opposite sides of said shaft, contact posts on said base respectively disposed in two, six and ten oclock positions with respect to said shaft, a one-piece substantially W-shaped spring of conducting material having a pair of side arms respectively lying between said cam and the two and ten oclock contact posts and having a re-entrant portion between said arms, said re-entrant portion pivotally embracing the six oclock contact post for providing pivotal movement of the spring, the set of said spring biasing said arms inwardly against said cam at all times, the dimensions of said cam being such that when the cam is in neutral position with the long sides thereof parallel to the direction between twelve and six oclock positions, said side arms lie alongside the long sides and inwardly of said two and ten oclock contact posts, a further contact post disposed on said base substantially between said two and ten oclock posts and engaged by one of said spring arms when said cam is in neutral position, the sides of said cam being so disposed and dimensioned that when said cam is rocked about said shaft to swing the short sides respectively towards the spring arms, the major portlon earns the spring arm engaged thereby against the contact post on the outer side thereof while the minor portion earns the spring arm engaged thereby to a non-contacting position inwardly of the contact post on the outer side thereof.

2. A switch mechanism comprising an insulating base, a supporting shaft mounted on and extending upwardly from said base, an actuator cam of rectangular and ob long configuration having opposed pairs of long and short sides and corners between the long and short sides,

the body of said cam being mounted on said shaft for oscillation about an axis eccentric to the length of said cam, whereby said cam is provided with a major portion and a minor portion on respectively opposite sides of said shaft, contact posts on said base respectively disposed in two, six and ten oclock positions with respect to said shaft, a one-piece substantially W-shaped spring of conducting material having a pair of side arms respectively lying between said cam and the two and ten oclock contact posts and having a re-entrant portion between said arms, said re-entrant portion pivotally embracing the six oclock contact post for providing pivotal movement of the spring, the set of said spring biasing said arms inwardly against said cam at all times, the dimensions of said cam being such that when the cam is in neutral position with the long sides thereof parallel to the direction between twelve and six oclock positions, said side arms lie alongside the long sides and inwardly of said two and ten oclock contact posts, the corners of said cam being so disposed and dimensioned that when said cam is rocked about said shaft to swing opposite corners respectively of the major and minor portions in over-center engaging relationship with a spring arm, the corner on the major portion cams the spring arm engaged thereby against the contact post on the outer side thereof while the minor corner earns the spring arm engaged thereby to a non-contacting position inwardly of the contact post on the outer side thereof.

3. The combinations claimed in claim 2, and a generally dome-shaped cover over said base, said base being disc-shaped, said cover having a peripheral skirt portion loosely surrounding the periphery of the base, and a center post depending from the center of the dome, said center post being rotatably supported on said shaft, and means non-rotatably connecting said center post to said cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,306 Thompson Nov. 11, 1941 2,600,652 Huck June 17, 1952 2,626,334 Koenig Jan. 20, 1953- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 841,630 France Feb. 3, 1939 698,175 Germany Nov. 4, 1940 

